Motor actuated closure mechanism for railway hopper cars



W. L. FLOEHR May 2, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1964 Inventor: Walter L. Floehr his Attorney 6 6E ,llll -Ilh h h m n m Mb 8 3 9w h N S P H -iwmmw- E LT- -imw uTl IL? if- LWW MTI I wuvi EM v A r a m m mm m w m km W o W. L. FLOEHR May 2, 1967 MOTOR ACTUATED CLOSURE MECHANISM 'FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1964 Inventor: Walter L. Floehr his Attorney 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 2, 1967 w. L. FLOEHR MOTOR ACTUATED CLOSURE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS Filed April 21, 1964 In ve n to r Walter L. Floehr his Attorney PISTON STROKE m INCHES FIG. 12

W. L. FLOEHR May 2, 196? MOTOR ACTUATED CLOSURE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 21, 1964 Inventor: Walter L. Floehr MM his Attorney United States Patent 3,316,857 MOTOR ACTUATED CLOSURE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS Walter L. Fioehr, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Unitcast Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 361,459 17 Claims. (Cl. 105-240) This invention relates to dumping mechanisms for railway hopper cars.

The integral train concept of supplying large consumers requirements of a particular commodity by trains made up of freight cars suited to that commodity and shuttling back and forth between the producer and the consumer, has been one of the most successful of the recent innovations in railroading. Its success has been particularly notable in supplying public utilities with their requirements of steam coal by trains of hopper cars moving between the producers mine and the consumers storage yard. Maximum economy in the operation requires a minimum of delay in both loading and unloading, and this 1's readily obtained in loading with the automated equipment now available. However, hopper cars now in service have manually operable doors and most are of the saw-tooth design which, at best, permits less than half of the bottom of a car to be opened. Consequently, with available equipment, it has proved impossible even to approach the desired unloading schedule of a minute per car. Conceivably, rotary dumpers might be used, but, unless all of the cars in the train were equipped with rotary couplers, the use of such a dumper would require the uncoupling of each car and, in any case, would prevent continuous movement of the train during unloading.

Certainly, from the standpoint of the customer, the best solution to the problem of unloading integral coal trains would be a hopper car equipped with a dumping mechanism for automatically opening most of the bottom of the car at one time and in a minimum interval. Were these the only criteria, the problem might be readily solvable, but, to be practical, the automatic dumping mechanism must also be capable of closing the bottom after the lading has been dumped and holding it closed under the weight of a succeeding load until the car is again ready for dumping. One or another of these problems has been the stumbling block to any of the automatic dumping mechanisms for hopper cars heretofore proposed.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved dumping mechanism for a hopper car whereby the bottom openings of such a car are closea'ble by transverse doors that are automatically operable in unison.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dumping mechanism for a hopper car whereby transverse doors for closing the bottom openings in the car not only are automatically openable and closeable in unison, but, when opened, open over half of the bottom of the car without detriment to its strength.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door operator for a hopper car whereby transverse doors for closing the bottom openings of such a car are operable in unison by remotely controllable motor means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door operator for a hopper car whereby transverse doors for closing the bottom openings of such a car, while drivable between open and closed positions by remotely controllable motor means, are held in closed position independently of the motor means.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a door operator for a hopper car equipped with transverse doors which not only enables the doors to be operated in unison by remote control but is mountable out of the way in the center sill of the car.

3,318,857 Patented May 2, 1967 A further object of the invention is to provide a door operator for a hopper car equipped with transverse doors connected in pairs across the cars center sill, whereby the doors are openable and closeable in unison by power transmitted through an operating shaft to which each pair of connected doors has its own foldable drive connection and the drive connections so fold in a closing operation as to resist accidental opening of the doors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door operator for a hopper car equipped with oppositely opening pairs of connected transverse doors for closing the bottom openings of each hopper, whereby the doors are operable in unison through an operating shaft which is housed in and recipro-cable longitudinally of the center sill and to which each pair of connected doors is operatively connected by a drive connection individual thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door operator for a hopper car equipped with transverse doors for closing its bottom openings, wherein all of the doors are drivably connected for operation in unison to parts of the same drive shaft atnd both those parts and the operative connections are so constructed and arranged as to inhibit binding in operation of the operator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in a detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic side elevational view of a hopper car, incorporating a preferred embodiment of the dumping mechanism of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View on an enlarged scale, showing in detail the preferred construction of the hoppers;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on a further enlarged scale taken along the longitudinal centerline of the center sill and on lines 3-3 of FIGURE 5, showing a typical drive connection between the operating shaft and one of the pairs of connected doors in the latters closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the scale of FIGURE 3 taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 6, showing the relative disposition of the shaft and the parts of the drive connection to each pair of connected doors I in the latters open position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 66 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the scale of FIGURE 2, taken longitudinally of the center sill along lines 77 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines 1tl10 of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 12 is a graph showing the angular opening between the doors and their frames over the range of movement of the power piston.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved dumping mechanism of the present invention, while applicable generally to hopper cars, is designed primarily for use on hopper cars of integral trains supporting a single commodity for enabling the commodity to be unloaded in a minimum time and, if desired, without stopping the train by running the latter over one or more elevated sections of track through which its cars can dump their lading.

Designated as 1, the improved dumping mechanism is of the type that dumps between, rather than outside, the rails and has, for closing the discharge openings 2 in the bottom 3 of the hopper car 4 a plurality of transverse or crosswise hinged doors 5. conventionally, the plurality of hoppers 6 into which the bottom 3 of the car 4 is partitioned, are divided transversely by a center sill 7 which extends longitudinally of the car and mounts in its ends beyond body bolsters 8, couplers 9 and associated cushioning mechanisms (not shown). However, the preferred car is unconventional in having hoppers of shallow instead of sawtoot design for the relatively greater open area in the bottom 3 that the shallow design aftords. Too, to avoid the structural weaknesses inherent in the old shallow hopper design in which opposing doors met along their distal ends to close the discharge openings, the preferred car 4 has its hoppers 6 constructed generally in the manner disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 256,868, filed Feb. 7, 1963, now Pat. No. 3,242,878 issued Mar. 29, 1966, in which each hopper or hopper pocket has at each side of the center sill 7 a pair of the discharge openings 2, each bounded by one of a pair of frames 10, downsloping longitudinally toward each other and welded or otherwise suitably joined, transversely of the car, along their adjoining sides.

The opposing doors for closing the discharge openings 2 at each side of each of the preferred shallow hoppers 6, are hinged to the far sides of the related frames and in closing swing toward each other from substantially vertical positions, indicated in dot-and-dash line in FIGURE 2, to the downwardly convergent, inclined or sloping positions shown in solid line in that figure, in which each seats against one of the frames and closes the discharge opening bounded thereby. The pairs of frames 10 of each hopper 6 at opposite sides of the center sill 7 are arranged abreast or in transverse or lateral alignment with the door-engaging faces 11 of the correspondingly sloping frames of each pair preferably substantially coplanar and the doors therefor connected across the center sill 7 for operation as a unit by a suitable spreader or connector 12.

While each of the hoppers 6 preferably will be of the shallow design with its several discharge openings 2 closeable by oppositely opening pairs of connected doors 5, the total number of hoppers or pockets into which the bottom 3 of a particular hopper car 4 is partitioned will depend mainly upon the length of the car. Thus, while it ordinarily will be preferable that the cars of a particular integral train be the same to facilitate scheduling of the dumping of the coal or other commodity being transported, a given hopper car may have the illustrated six or other number or plurality of hoppers appropriate to its length. However, whatever the number of the hoppers 6 and the arrangement of the transverse doors 5 closing them, in the dumping mechanism of this invention, all of the doors are adapted to be operated simultaneously or in unison.

To the above end, the dumping mechanism includes a door operator or operating mechanism I13 which conveniently is mounted in the center sill 7 between the body bolsters 8 and has an operating shaft 14 operatively or drivably connected to all of the doors. Itself shiftable or reciprocable longitudinally of the center sill 7 by a fluid-actuated piston or other suitable, remotely controllable, automatically operable power means 15, the operating shaft 14- transmits the translational or reciprocal movement imparted to it, to the several doors 5 for opening and closing the latter through drive connections 16. In the preferred construction in which the corresponding doors 5 at opposite sides of the center sill 7 are connected in pairs by spreaders 12 for movement as units, a drive connection or linkage 16 is provided for each pair of connected doors and the connection at its door end is connected between the doors to the spreader.

Required not only to convert the translational movement of the operating shaft 14 into the swinging movement of the doors 5, but in conjunction with the shaft, to hold or lock the doors in closed position against the weight of lading in the car, the preferred connections 16 are double-jointed compound levers or, in the sense that the two joints or knees 17 of each are substantially straightened in one position of the associated doors, double toggles. Each of the preferred drive connections 16 has as an intermediate or middle member of its linkage a bellcrank or bellcrank lever 18 which is mounted on the center sill 7 for rotation, pivoting or turning about a fixed transverse axis substantially parallel to the common hinging axis of the related doors 5. Conveniently, each bellcrank 18 is mounted on the center sill 7 through a pair of mounting brackets 19 fixed, as by riveting, to the opposite sides 20' and bottom flanges 21 of the sill 7 and carrying therebelow instanding trunnions or stub axles 22 on which the bellcrank pivots and which for that purpose are socketed in transversely or laterally spaced bosses 23 on opposite sides of the bellcrank. So mounted on the center sill 7, each bellcrank 18 has its crank or force-receiving arm 24 pivotally connected at one of the joints 17 to a lower end of a link -25 having its upper end pivotally connected to and preferably bifurcated or forked for embracing or straddling an adjoining, overlying part of the operating shaft 14. The other, second or power-transmitting arm 26 of the angularly related arms of the bellcrank 18, is pivotally connected at the other of the joints 17 to one end of a lower link 27, the other end of which is pivotally and preferably universally connected to the spreader 12 of the related pair of doors 5, as by a universal cross-pin connector 28.

The link and lever arrangement of each of the preferred drive connections 16 is designed to fold substantially upon itself, out of the way into the center sill 7 in the closed position of the doors 5, in such manner as to cause a major part of the movement of the doors to take place over a minor part of the stroke of the piston 15 and consequent movement of the operating shaft 14 and, in cooperation with the operating shaft, effectively to hold or lock the doors in closed position against their own weight and that of any lading in the car. These operating characteristics are derived in part from the splitting or dividing of the axle 22 fulcrumming the bellcrank 18 to permit the lower link 27 to fold between the bosses 23 into the relatively shorter lower arm 26 of the bellcrank, making the bellcranks crank arm 24 much shorter than its lower arm and locating the pivot pin 29 connecting the upper link 25 of the drive connection at all times on one side, vertically, of the joint 17 between that link and the crank arm. Par-t of the responsibility for the preferred operating characteristics also rests in the angular disposition of the arms 24 and 26 of the bellcrank .18 such that the crank arm is at somewhat less than a right angle to the lower arm and, in the open position of the doors in which the lower arm and the lower link 27 are in a substantially straight line, is directed upwardly toward the operating shaft 14 with the joint 17 between the crank arm and the upper link 25 almost straight. Cooperating stops or shoulders 29 preferably are provided on the bellcrank 18 and the lower link 27 to prevent the lower joint from folding in the wrong direction in a closing operation.

With its upper joint 17 at all times above the bellcranks fulcrum, each of the preferred drive connections 16, not only restricts the major part of the movement of the doors to a minor part of the movement of the operating shaft 14 or stroke of the power piston 15, as shown in the graph of FIGURE 11, but by having the pivots of the lower link 27 and the fulcrum of the bellcrank 18 substantially in line and the upper link 25 substantially vertical in the closed position of the doors, effectively holds or locks the doors in closed position so long as the operating shaft is held against movement and without the reliance upon a continued application of force to the shaft by the power means 15. Among its operating characteristics, the door operator 13 of this invention thus has the two of the capabilities most needed in a hopper car for an integral train, quick opening of the doors in unison in an opening operation and an effective mechanical lock independent of the power means for holding the doors closed.

Even with the preferred drive connection 16 for each pair of connected doors 5, operation of the doors in unison does not demand that their drive connections all be connected to a single operating shaft 14. On the contrary, each of the drive connections may be drivably connected to its own individual fluid-actuated or other suitable power means, with the desired operation in unison derived from a fluid or other appropriate connection of the power means to a suitable control. However, to minimize the piping or wiring that otherwise would be required, it is preferred that the doors be operatively or drivably connected to a single operating shaft reciprocal longitudinally of the center sill and that the power for reciprocating or powering the shaft be obtained or derived from a single fluid, electric or other suitable, remotely controllable, power, drive or motor means 15.

Since in both the sawtooth and the preferred shallow hopper designs, the doors will not all open in the same direction, the operative connection of all of the doors to a single operating shaft 14, reciprocal longitudinally of the center sill 7, will require for the drive connections 16 to all of the pairs of connected doors, a plurality of takeofi's or parts 30, at least certain of which move opposite or counter to each other as the shaft as a whole moves or turns in one direction or the other. The preferred operating shaft 14 is, as illustrated, an endless shaft mounted in the space 31 in the center sill 7 between the body bolsters of longitudinally spaced pulleys 32, each of which is mounted for rotation or turning about a vertical axis, adjacent or toward one of the opposite ends of that conveniently mounted bewise fixed to the top web 35 of the sill and the other to an underlying cross-plate 36 connecting the sills bottom flanges 21.

The flexible end members or sections 37 of the shaft 14 engaging the pulleys 32, for the illustrated construction in which the pulleys are sprockets, will be chains rather than bands or cables and it is preferred that the flexibility in the end members extend also to the sides 38 of the shaft, both to facilitate maintenance and to compensate for bending of the center sill 7 under service stresses. However, to avoid binding in the connections or joints at the ends of the upper links 25, the take-offs 30 on the shaft 14 for each drive connection 16 should be of operating shafts for hopper cars, differing in the numbers of their transverse doors, to be assembled or made up from standard components, the preferred operating shaft 14 has its sides 38 between the formed of alternating, swivelly 30 and spacers 39, the

is interposed. With a spacer 39 fixed, as by welding, to each end of each of the end chains 37 and the pins 43 connecting opposite ends of each take-off 30 to the adjoining spacers 39 preferably crossed or at right angles for both vertical and lateral flexibility in the sides 38 of the shaft 14, the takeolfs slide in and are individually supported by bushed support brackets 44 riveted or otherwise secured tothe top 34 and an adjoining side 20 of the sill 7. Intermediate its ends, each of the take-offs 30 conveniently is notched,

flexible end members 37,

as at 45, at the sides for reception in a bifurcated upper end 46 of the related upper link 25. Desirably, the notches 45 of each pair are bounded at their sides away from the associated pair of doors 5 by diagonal or inclined shoulders or abutments 47, the disposition and angularity of which, relative to the axis of their take-off 30, is such that they are engageable with the adjoining side of the upper link 25 simultaneously or concurrently with engagement of the shoulders 29 and thus cooperate with the latter in preventing the toggle joints 17 of the drive connection 16 from going or opening over or beyond center in an opening operation with consequent detriment to subsequent closing.

The lower bellcrank arm 26 and link 27 can be and preferably are substantially centered laterally on the center sill 7 and swing in the same vertical plane in an opening operation. The upper link 25 also should swing in a vertical plane for optimum efliciency in transmitting force to the bellcrank 18. This requires the bellcranks crank arm 24 to be offset laterally in vertical alignment with the side 38 of the operating shaft 14 of which the related take-off 30 is a part, but does not impair use of an identical bellcrank, reversed or turned in the opposite direction, in the drive connection 16 of an oppositely opening pair of doors, so long as the opposite sides 37 of the operating shaft are substantially equally spaced from the longitudinal centerline of the center sill 7. Although not interfering with the desired action of the drive connections 16, the off-center application of force to the bellcrank 15, through the laterally offset crank arms 24, together with possible bending of the center sill 7 under service forces, makes it desirable that the trunnions 22 on which the bellcranks are fulcrummed be the illustrated self-aligning bearings rather than simple cylindrical members.

As mentioned earlier, the drive connections 16 for the doors 5 preferably are connected to the spreaders 12 be tween the doors by universal connectors 28. As in connecting a pair of hopper doors for manual operation, the spreaders 12 ordinarily will extend across and be fixed to the outer faces 48 of the doors 5. Equalization of the holding force applied at top and bottom to hold the doors closed against their frames 10 simply entails attachment of the spreaders 12 to the doors toward the: latters lower ends. However, with each pair of doors held in closed position by the folding of its drive connection 16 and the accompanying locking of the operating shaft 14 against longitudinal movement, the application of the holding force to the associated spreader 12 substantially at its midpoint enables the weight of lading on the closed doors to apply very considerable bending stresses to the ends of the spreader which tend to bend or how them away from the frames. To resist these stresses, the preferred spreader 12, instead of being the conventional single member, therefore is a double member formed of a pair of oppositely facing channel members 42 laterally spaced to accommodate the connector 2 8 and having their inner flanges 5t) fixed to the doors outer faces 48. This construction has the further advantage that by slotting the webs 51 of the channels 49 normal to the faces 48 of the doors 5 of the connected pair, to receive the ends of the adjoining pin 52 of the connector 28, the fit, on closing, of the doors with their frames 14), can readily 'be adjusted by shifting the pin as necessary normal to the faces of the doors before welding its ends to the webs. Similarly, any slack in the operating shaft 14 can be eliminated by adjusting the spacing, longitudinally of the center sill 7, between the shafts 33 mounting the sprockets 32 before the mounting plates 34 of the second of the shafts are fixed in position.

While the operating shaft 14 may the driven through one of the sprockets 32, a simpler and more rugged door operator 13 18 obtained by making the sprockets, idlers and connecting the power means 15 directly to the shaft. The preferred power, drive or motor means 15 is a double-acting, fluid-actuated piston 15 which, conveniently has the outer end of its cylinder 53 mounted for at least vertical pivoting on the bottom mounting plate 34 of one of the sprocket shafts 33. Extending inwardly, longitudinally of the center sill 7 from its mounting plate and below and substantially aligned vertically with and parallel to one side 38 of the operating shaft 14, the power piston 15 is swivelly connected to an adjoining take-off 30 through a slide or clamp 54. Formed by a pair of upstanding or vertically directed, laterally spaced plates 55 bolted or otherwise clamped, fixed or secured to the adjoining take-off 30 adjacent the latters outer end, the illustrated slide 54- is slideably mounted in a channeled bracket 56, as by providing its plates with out-turned feet 57 fitting in confronting slide or guide ways or slots 58 in the sides of the bracket, with the bracket in turn mounted or supported on and riveted or otherwise fixed to a crossplate 59 extending between and fixed to the bottom flanges 21 of the center sill 7.

Fixed at its upper end to the adjoining take-off 30 and slidable horizontally, longitudinally of the center sill 7 by virtue of the interfit between its feet 57 and the guideways 58, the slide or slide block 54 not only transmits force from the longitudinally and horizontally acting piston 15 to the operating shaft 14, but serves with one of the bushed brackets 44 and in place of a second such bracket, as the individual support for the particular takeoff. So connected to the operating shaft 14 and caused to advance or retract, depending on whether actuating fluid is introduced or applied to the outer port 60 or inner port 61 in the cylinder 53, the piston 15, by correspondingly reciprocating, moving or shifting the operating shaft, swings the doors between open and closed position.

In an opening operation, the piston need dwell at the end of its advance stroke only for the time required to unload the car 4. Since this time is short, the drain on the available supply of actuating fluid during the dwell is not objectionable. However, the closed condition of the doors 5 that obtains at the end of the retract stroke of the piston 15, must be maintained for a long period and usually until the next unloading. Dependence on the continued application of actuating fluid to hold the operating shaft 14 against movement in the closed position of the doors therefore would be objectionable. Accordingly, to relieve the actuating fluid of this task, there is provided, a lock 62 for locking the operating shaft against movement in the closed position of the doors.

Particularly suited for use as the lock 62, in conjunction with the preferred fluid-actuated power means 15, is the illustrated vertically acting, fluid-actuated locking dog or pawl or latch, the cylinder 63 for which is mounted on the slide bracket 56 below the slide 54. Normally projected upwardly by a spring 64 into the path :and engaging an inner end of the slide 54 for holding the piston 15 in retracted position, the locking dog 62 is a one-way piston that is retractable out of the way of the slide by the application of fluid pressure to the single inlet port 65 in its cylinder 63 and is so retracted, concurrently with operation of the power piston 15 to open the doors 5, by fluid-connecting its single inlet port in series with the outer port 60 in the power cylinder 53.

Either held in retracted position by engagement with the underside of the slide 54 until the latter returns to initial, retracted or normal position or, as illustrated, having a bevelled outer face 66 for retraction by engagement with the outer end of the slide as the latter begins its retract stroke, depending on the length of the slide relative to the stroke of the piston 15-, the locking dog 62, without interfering with the operation of the door operator 13, thus will effectively hold the operating shaft 14 against accidental longitudinal movement in the closed position of the doors 5 and, through the then folded drive connections 16, hold the doors in that position without dependence upon the power piston 15. So relieved of the task of holding the doors 5 in closed position and assisted in an opening operation by the force of gravity on both the doors and the lad-ing, the power piston 15 in an opening operation actually need do little more than initiate the opening movement and in a closing operation is subjected only to the weight of the doors. The power requirements of the door operator 13 of a single car thus are small and, since one or at most a very few cars of an integral train would ever be dumped at the same time, there usually will be no difficulty in taking that power off a reservoir or supply tank (not shown) on each car supplied by the locomotive consist pulling the train. However, if deemed desirable, it would be a simple matfor to provide each car with an accumulator or even an individual compressor for ensuring the availability of fluid under pressure for actuating the operator.

If desired, operable manually in case of a breakdown in the fluid or other power system, as by providing one of the sprockets 32 with a stem 67 projecting downwardly through a hollow lower part of its shaft 33 and having a square or other out-of-round lower end 68 for reception of a suitable crank (not shown), the door operator 13 may also have a manually operable valve (not shown) for manually controlling the application of actuating fluid to the power piston 15. However, if, as its primary purpose, the door operator 13 is to enable an entire integral train of hopper cars to be unloaded in a minimum of time, the operator on each car should be adapted for automatic operation at the one or more locations at which the cars are to be dumped. This is readily accomplishable by providing in the field connection to the power piston 15, a suitable pilot or control valve, indcated at 69, that, as the car reaches the location at which it is to be dumped, is mechanically, electrically or otherwise trippable or operable by a suitable companion device (not shown) stationarily mounted at that location. With the dumping mechanism of this invention so arranged for automatic operation, each car not only can be dumped in a minimum of time but, since the movement of the train need not be interrupted during the dumping, a minimum unloading time is obtainable for the entire train. And the time for the train, as a whole, can be further minimized by dumping different cars simultaneously at a plurality of locations, a feat readily performable by inactivating the stationary operating device at the location or locations first reached by the train until a predetermined number of cars has passed.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved dumping mechanism for hopper cars which, while applicable to cars of non-integral trains, is most advantageous in enabling an integral train to be unloaded more quickly than has heretofore been possible. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Dumping mechanism for a hopper ear having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, and a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, comprising remotely controllable operator means in and acting longitudinally of said sill and individually connected to each of said pairs of connected doors for operating said doors in unison.

2. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill and a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, comprising operating shaft means in and movable longitudinally of said sill, a plurality of lever means mounted in said sill each for individually connecting one of said pairs of connected doors to said shaft means, and motor means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft means for operating said doors in unison therethrough.

3. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, remotely controllable operator means in and acting longitudinally of said sill, and means individually connecting each pair of connected doors to said operator means for operation thereby in unison.

4. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof remotely controllable operator means in and acting longitudinally of said sill, and a plurality of foldable link and lever means mounted on said sill and each individually connecting a pair of connected doors to said operator means for operation of said doors in unison thereby.

5. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, an endless operating shaft mounted in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, means operatively connecting said certain and other pairs of connected doors to oppositely movable sides of said shaft, and motor means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft for operating said doors in unison therethrough.

6. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car and connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets, certain of said pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, an endless operating shaft reciprocally mounted in said sill, means operatively conmeeting said certain and other pairs of connected doors to oppositely movable. sides .of said shaft, remotely controllable power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft for driving said doors in unison therethrough between open and closed positions, and means operative on closing of said doors for releasably locking said shaft against operation and said doors in closed position.

7. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill and a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, comprising shaft means mounted in and reciprocally longitudinally of said sill and individually connected to each of said pairs of connected doors, .remotely controllable power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft means for driving said doors therethrough in unison between open and closed positions, and means for locking said shaft means against movement in the closed position of said doors, said locking and power means being operatively connected for causing said locking means to release said shaft means on operation of said power means to open said doors.

8. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill and a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, comprising shaft means mounted in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill and individually connected to each of said pairs of connected doors, remotely controllable fluid-actuated power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft means for driving said doors therethrough in unison between open and closed positions, and fluid-actuated means for locking said shaft means against movement in the closed position of said doors, said locking and power means being operatively connected for causing said locking means to release said shaft on operation of said power means to open said doors.

9. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, said shaft including a plurality of take-offs individually mounted in said sill for sliding longitudinally thereof and each individually connected to one of said pairs of connected doors, and power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft for driving said doors therethrough in unison between open and closed positions.

10. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, said shaft including a plurality of take-offs individually mounted in said sill for sliding longitudinally thereof, a plurality of link and lever means mounted on said sill and each connecting one of said take-offs to a pair of connected doors, and power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft for driving said doors therethrough in unison between open and closed positions, said link and lever means on closing of said doors substantially retracting into said sill with the parts thereof so relatively disposed as to resist accidental opening of said doors.

11. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in longitudinally spaced pairs with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of transverse doors connected in pairs across said sill each for closing a pair of said outlets, an operating shaft reciprocal in said sill, said shaft including a plurality of take-offs individually mounted in said sill for sliding longitudinally thereof, a plurality of double toggle means mounted in said sill and each connecting one of said take-offs to a pair of connected doors, and power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft for driving said doors therethrough in unison between open and closed positions, said toggle means on closing of said doors sub stantially retracting into said sill with the parts thereof so relatively disposed as to resist accidental opening of said doors.

12. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors spaced longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, said shaft including a plurality of take-offs individually mounted in said sill for sliding longitudinally thereof, a plurality of bellcranks mounted on said sill for pivoting about axes substantially parallel to hinging axes of said doors, upper and lower links connecting arms of each bellcrank respectively to a take-off and a pair of connected doors, and power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft for driving said doors therethrough in unison between open and closed positions, said bell-cranks and links in said closed position of said doors being substantially folded into said sill with said upper links disposed substantially vertically for resisting accidental opening of said doors.

13. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car having a plurality of bottom outlets arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the car with the outlets of each pair spaced laterally by a center sill, comprising a plurality of hinged doors opening longitudinally of the car, said doors being connected in pairs across said center sill each for closing a pair of said outlets and certain of said connected pairs opening oppositely from other thereof, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, said shaft including a plurality of take-offs individually mounted in said sill for sliding longitudinally thereof, power means in said sill and drivably connected to said shaft, and means individually connecting each of said take-offs to a pair of connected doors for causing said doors to open and close in unison on operation of said power means while restricting a major part of movement of said doors to a minor part of movement of said shaft.

14. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car comprising a plurality of hoppers spaced longitudinally of said car each having a pair of outlets at each side of a center sill of said car, a pair of oppositely opening doors for closing the outlets of each hopper at each side of said sill and each connected to a corresponding door of the pair at the sills opposite side, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, means individually connecting each pair of connected doors to said shaft, and power means drivably connected to said shaft for operating said doors therethrough in unison.

15. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car comprising a plurality of hoppers spaced longitudinally of said car each having a pair of individually framed angularly related outlets at each side of a center sill of said car, a pair of oppositely opening doors for closing the outlets of each hopper at each side of said sill and each connected to a corresponding door of the pair at the sills opposite side, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, means individually connecting each pair of connected doors to said shaft, and remotely controllable power means drivably connected to said shaft for operating said doors therethrough in unison.

16. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car comprising a plurality of hoppers spaced longitudinally of said car each having a pair of individually framed angularly related outlets at each side of a center sill of said car, a pair of oppositely opening doors for closing the outlets of each hopper at each side of said sill and each connected to a corresponding door of the pair at the sills opposite side, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, means individually connecting each pair of connected doors to said shaft, remotely controllable power means drivably connected to said shaft for operating said doors therethrough in unison, and means connected to said power means and operative to lock said doors against opening except on operation of said power means.

17. Dumping mechanism for a hopper car comprising a plurality of hoppers spaced longitudinally of said car each having a pair of individually framed angularly related outlets at each side of a center sill of said car, a pair of oppositely opening doors for closing the outlets of each hopper at each side of said sill and each connected to a corresponding door of the pair at the sills opposite side, an operating shaft in and reciprocal longitudinally of said sill, means individually connecting each pair of connected doors to said shaft, remotely controllable power means drivably connected to said shaft for operating said doors therethrough in unison, and means connected to said power means and operative to lock said doors against opening independently and except on operation of said power means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 749,108 1/1904 Shepard -290 757,931 4/ 1904 Jepson 105-240 763,186 6/1904 Johnson 105-290 X 789,155 4/1905 Kiesel 105-290 X 913,358 2/ 1909 Campbell 105-248 1,000,753 8/1911 Olden 105-240 1,267,363 5/1918 Blest 105-240 1,268,118 6/1918 Hillman 105-288 X 1,284,111 11/1918 Kestler 105-300 1,765,519 6/1930 Zimmer 105-290 X 2,784,679 3/1957 Wine 105-280 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. DUMPING MECHANISM FOR A HOPPER CAR HAVING A PLURALITY OF BOTTOM OUTLETS ARRANGED IN PAIRS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR WITH THE OUTLETS OF EACH PAIR SPACED LATERALLY BY A CENTER SILL, AND A PLURALITY OF HINGED DOORS OPENING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR, SAID DOORS BEING CONNECTED IN PAIRS ACROSS SAID SILL EACH FOR CLOSING A PAIR OF SAID OUTLETS AND CERTAIN OF SAID CONNECTED PAIRS OPENING OPPOSITELY FROM OTHER THEREOF, COMPRISING REMOTELY CONTROLLABLE OPERATOR MEANS IN AND ACTING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SILL AND INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF CONNECTED DOORS FOR OPERATING SAID DOORS IN UNISON. 